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DS not speaking clearly still

283

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 01:10

DS turned 18 months couple of days back and still doesn't speak clearly. he still doesn't say mamma :( he says papa, calls DH saying papa too! but he calls me papa too! although he points to a lot of things when asked, but speaks half words whenever he does.. like baaaa for ball, sta for star, ky for sky, birrr for bird, baboo for balloon.. he talks a lot of jibberish, like non stop, with actions and tones. should we worry?

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 30 January 2012 - 19:29

Your child is aboslutely fine :) I didn't start speaking until I turned 6, YES 6!!!! I had to go to speech therapy and doctors but there wasn't a problem. Anyway I'm fine now, well I think I am :)

Hello.Again.Kitty

1861

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 30 January 2012 - 17:42

Isn't it funny how they double up words? Shoes are shoo-shoo, pizza is pee-peez, chocolate is toc-toc (should I admit those last two?! :D). heck, I still call pots of yoghurt "yog-yogs"... as does my mum! Something wrong?! ;)

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 30 January 2012 - 14:45

BiP is 21m and mostly incomprehensible - my niece was speaking 4 word sentences clearly at this age - every kid is different!

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 30 January 2012 - 12:30

Isn't it funny how they double up words? Shoes are shoo-shoo, pizza is pee-peez, chocolate is toc-toc (should I admit those last two?! :D).

283

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 30 January 2012 - 11:53

DS is turning 19 months soon and he has picked up a lot of words but still speaks in his own way.. and its all up to us to interpret :) plane is mane.. phone is po.. nose is mo.. shoes are hoo-hoo.. cherios are choo.. :D so funny.. still he doesn't call me mamma :(

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 00:34

wouldn't worry too much presam. My DS barely spoke at 18 months and then after he turned 2 he suddenly completely changed and started repeating everything and speaking in sentences! My nephew is nearly 3 and has just now really started to speak properly :)

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EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 14 January 2012 - 21:05

My ds doesn't have much in way of words either presam, I wouldn't be too worried yet. Boys generally teake there time at these things too. :)

1987

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 23:38

Presam, your DS sounds like my DS2, who is also 18 months old. Believe me, we do a lot of talking, and vocab-encouraging exercises (reading stories aloud, nursery rhymes, having nonsense word conversations, playing games, etc) with the older DS1 so naturally DS2 is also involved, and he makes all those half-word-sounds, plus his own longer multi-syllable "words". I think that baby having a language that only mama can "translate" for others makes a really sweet bond at an age when the baby is taking more steps towards independence...

446

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EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 22:06

DS turned 18 months couple of days back and still doesn't speak clearly. he still doesn't say mamma :( he says papa, calls DH saying papa too! but he calls me papa too! although he points to a lot of things when asked, but speaks half words whenever he does.. like baaaa for ball, sta for star, ky for sky, birrr for bird, baboo for balloon.. he talks a lot of jibberish, like non stop, with actions and tones. should we worry? Do you and your DH speak 2 languages? Im just wondering as children of bilingual parents will often speak later than children whose parents only speak one language. I also wouldn’t worry until he is at least 3 years old as boys tend to be slower to talk than girls

kiwispiers15400

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 21:51

lol DC we eat "shooshooberries" in our house despite the fact that DS can actually say strawberries properly now

2937

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 21:29

And about the words only us Mums understand... DS has renamed his sister. Apparently Elin is hard for a 19-month-old to say, so he calls her Hee Hee.

2937

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 21:28

I'm sure I've mentioned this before and I'm even more sure it makes our family sound nuts but we all use words the kids have invented in everyday conversation! I've even caught myself asking DH if he wants some stawbilies, or asking my sister if her youngest has ponked. That's strawberries and vomited, FYI :D. Oh, and we recently celebrated Pristmas. Did you?!

283

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 18:13

thanks ladies.. i was a bit worried for the sole reason that whatever he speaks only i can understand! good to know that it is a positive thing! :)

kiwispiers15400

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 13:58

He's 19 months now and talks all day, but probably only two or three words actually sound like the word he's trying to say! Bless him. It's more sounds with intention, if that makes sense! Kah for car, ower for shower, that kind of thing... I guess I know what he means because I spend all day with him but to anyone else it probably sounds like total gibberish. lol my favourite is listening to DS say "xylophone", (given that he can't really make a zz or a l sound yet) only a mummy could ever understand him! Take some video, one day he'll speak super clearly and you'll wish you could remember his little baby-speak. I think if a child doesn't have a few words (that mummy can understand) by 18 months then they tend to do a hearing test just to rule out any problems in that area.

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 13:21

DS had lots of ear infections when he was a bit younger, along with glue ear, and his paed said if the glue ear continued it may affect his speech but thankfully it's cleared up now. So it may be worth investigating that angle if you're concerned, LuLee. He's 19 months now and talks all day, but probably only two or three words actually sound like the word he's trying to say! Bless him. It's more sounds with intention, if that makes sense! Kah for car, ower for shower, that kind of thing... I guess I know what he means because I spend all day with him but to anyone else it probably sounds like total gibberish. I really wouldn't stress about it, because it sounds like he's communicating just fine. My nephew is four in April and his speech has only really come on since he went to pre-school. He got so used to his big sister translating for him he stopped bothering to try :D.

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EW GURU

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 10:14

My DS is 2 next month and doesn't speak clearly either and knows a few words that I can understand. I thought it could be his ears because since he was 6 months old, he always had his fingers in his ears, rubbing them. My husband kept re-assuring me it's the teething. Then 2 months ago, I took him to my family doc in the US and told us he has an infection in both ears. Was given antibiotics for 10 days then we went back and the infection was gone. Then couple of weeks later had his ears checked again and the infection was back and was given a stronger dose of antibiotics. Haven't gone to a doc since we got back last week. I'm wondering if this is the cause of his delayed speech?

SlobberKnocker52531

146

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 10:03

Don't worry! My DS had almost no words until 2years. He is fine now (does not shut up! lol) Every child's development happens at different rates. Often you will find they make almost no progress in one area, then they jump ahead in leaps and bounds in that area all at once. Just make sure you are talking to him a lot all the time and he will pick it up when he is ready. Try not to pressure him as this might inhibit him more.

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 09:51

DS turned 18 months couple of days back and still doesn't speak clearly. he still doesn't say mamma :( he says papa, calls DH saying papa too! but he calls me papa too! although he points to a lot of things when asked, but speaks half words whenever he does.. like baaaa for ball, sta for star, ky for sky, birrr for bird, baboo for balloon.. he talks a lot of jibberish, like non stop, with actions and tones. should we worry? Your DS has a far wider vocab range than my DD had at that age. We were worried as first DS had a wide vocab range when he was 18 months. At two DD starsted speaking and now at 3 can't stop. As everyone else has said don't worry. My DH was 4 before he started to speak!

kiwispiers15400

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 09:11

nothing to worry about, I have friends whose 18 month old's have no words at all. DS started with baw for ball, kah for car, yay-yay for lady etc and is gradually getting more and more clear, a few months ago I actually asked a speech therapist if it was normal, just because DS was born with tongue tie and I was worried it could affect his speech, from her email to me... [i'>That which you describe all sounds like normal development to me. The two examples you have given about the speech sounds are both examples of the normal process of simplification (technical term is 'phonological process') that kids often use when they are developing their speech repertoire. So ... The 'y' sound is easier to make than the 'l' sound ... so this sound substitution is often used (and may be for quite some time yet). The final consonant sound is often 'deleted' from words, because it makes the word easier to say ... so 'duh' instead of 'duck'. These are just two examples; there are several others too. You may find that he uses other simplification processes as he is developing his full range of speech sounds over the next few years. This is the normal way that speech develops. Most kids should stop using these simplification processes between the ages of 3 and 5 years - but there is variation of course.[/i'> We have a photo album with pictures of all the family members and I took photos of everyday objects in his life, ball, teddy, cup, clouds etc etc, I think its really helped extend his vocabulary and he loves looking through it and naming things but I also think there is a genetic component to when their become developmentally ready, just like some kids hit puberty sooner etc.

Hello.Again.Kitty

1861

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EW EXPERT

Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 01:56

Aww, bless you! At 2, the average child will have a vocabulary of 50 understandable, but not perfect words. There are certain sounds that come first and others are more complicated... And also they will pronounce the sounds as they hear them, so for example in english, the first syllable is usually stressed, apart from in some words like 'banana', where the second is stressed, so children will often say 'nana' because the 'ba' doesn't register. My son wasn't saying 50 words at 2, but health professionals dont worry about speech until the children are around 5. We consulted a speech therapist who gave some top tips and lots of reassurance, but even 2 is too young for speech exercises or anything. Just reinforce the proper speech sound as your son communicates by repeating what you think he's said, so if he says 'ka' and points to a car, you say, 'yes it's a car!' Speech in infancy is about communication rather than diction... So if your son is saying his version of a word and is being understood, then that's a good thing and essentially, he's achieving what he set out to do, which is great. DS is very chatty, even though i can't make out half the things he's telling me, and he's 2.5 now. His progress in the last 6 months has been incredible and i just know that their speech development follows a bit of an exponential curve!

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